Patent EA-003481-B1 (EA)
Title: Movable self-elevating artificial work island with modular hull
Inventor: PATOUT PHILIP J
IPC: E02D29/00
Filed: 1999-11-22
Abstract: 1. A movable self-elevating work platform, comprising: (a) a plurality of buoyant hull components each of which is capable of independent buoyant navigation over water; (b) a plurality of couplings disposed between said plurality of buoyant hull components when said buoyant hull components are in a desired proximate relationship, for coupling said buoyant hull components together to form a buoyant unitary work platform; (c) at least three legs slidably attached to said unitary work platform, each of which said legs is widely spaced apart from at least two other legs; and (d) a plurality of jacks attached to said unitary work platform and to each of said legs for raising and lowering said legs to the bed of a body of water upon which the unitary work platform is buoyantly disposed and for elevating and lowering said unitary work platform a desired distance above the surface of said body of water. 2. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 1, wherein said buoyant hull components are comprised of a metal framework having a covering of water-tight metal sheeting, which said metal framework includes a plurality of load bearing metal beams. 3. The moveable self-elevating work platform of Claim 2 wherein each of said plurality of couplings are strongly attached to said load bearing metal beams. 4. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of buoyant hull components has a length-to-beam ratio from two to eight. 5. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 1 wherein each of said legs is disposed through a water-tight sleeved hull penetration passing through one of said buoyant hull components. 6. The movable self-elevating work platform of any one of Claims 1, 3, 4, 5 further comprising a drilling rig package, comprising a derrick, a hoist, drilling fluid pumps and a rotary table. 7. The movable self-elevating work platform of any one of Claims 1, wherein said hull components are coupled together substantially perpendicularly so as to form a "T" shaped work platform. 8. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 1, further comprising at least one flashing attached to said plurality of hull components and spanning a space therebetween. 9. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 8 wherein said at least one flashing is buoyant. 10. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 8 wherein said at least one flashing has a vertical dimension substantially equal to a vertical dimension of said plurality of hull components. 11. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 1, further comprising an internal piling disposed in at least one of said plurality of legs and driven into a water bottom to a desired depth. 12. A movable self-elevating work platform, comprising: (a) a pair of buoyant hull components each of which is capable of independent buoyant navigation over water, each of said pair of buoyant hull components adapted so that one of said pair may be overlapped the other of said pair, and at least one coupling disposed between said pair of buoyant hull components when said pair of buoyant hull components are in a desired proximate and overlapping relationship, for coupling said buoyant hull components together to form a buoyant unitary work platform; (b) at least three legs slidably attached to said unitary work platform, each of which said legs is widely spaced apart from at least two other legs: and (c) a plurality of jacks attached to said unitary work platform and to each of said legs for raising and lowering said legs to the bed of a body of water upon which the unitary work platform is buoyantly disposed and for elevating and lowering said unitary work platform a desired distance above the surface of said body of water. 13. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 12, wherein one of said pair of buoyant hull components comprises a keyway and a pair of guide members disposed adjacent said keyway, and the other of said pair of buoyant hull components comprises a male key element, said keyway and said guide members and said male key element having cross section shapes such that said male key element fits closely within said keyway and said guide members in an interlocking, overlapping relationship. 14. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 13, wherein said pair of buoyant hull components are coupled together at substantially right angles, forming a "T" shaped work platform. 15. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 12, further comprising a plurality of rails extending outwardly from said male key element and extending beyond said keyway. 16. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 15, further comprising a drilling rig package comprising a derrick, a hoist, drilling fluid pumps and a rotary table, said drilling rig package mounted on said rails for movement back and forth thereon. 17. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 12, wherein said buoyant hull components are comprised of a metal framework having a covering of water-tight metal sheeting, said metal framework further comprising a plurality of load bearing metal beams. 18. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 17 wherein said at least one coupling is strongly attached to at least one of said plurality of load bearing beams. 19. The movable self-elevating work platform of any one of Claims 1 to12 wherein each of said legs is disposed through a water-tight sleeved hull penetration passing through one of said buoyant hull components. 20. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 12, further comprising at least one flashing attached to said pair of hull components and spanning a space therebetween. 21. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 20 wherein said at least one flashing is buoyant. 22. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 21 wherein said at least one flashing has a vertical dimension substantially equal to a vertical dimension of said plurality of hull components. 23. The movable self-elevating work platform of Claim 16, further comprising an internal piling disposed in at least one of said plurality of legs and driven.